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I'm free to say whatever I like, if it's wrong or right it's alright

Controversy Comes Easy for MacLean and Cherry

It is NHL playoff time again and everybody knows what that means. You wouldn’t be wrong if you guessed that it is time for the Boston Bruins to choke. I am actually thinking of CBC’s Ron MacLean and Don Cherry making controversial comments on the Coach’s Corner. Maybe MacLean and Cherry wait until the playoffs because there are more eyeballs on the TV, or maybe they just have more opportunities because they are on every other night. MacLean and Cherry made quite a splash last night and everyone was watching as the Sabres-Flyers game on TSN had just ended, leaving the Coach’s Corner as the only show on TV at the time. In order to understand what I am talking about, you first have to watch the video. You can do that here (skip to 3:20 for the part I’m referring to).

MacLean and Cherry were talking about a hit on Johan Franzen during yesterday afternoon’s Coyotes-Red Wings game. Franzen was driven into the boards headfirst by Shane Doan. The camera then comes back to MacLean, who has a smug look on his face as if he can barely contain himself knowing what’s coming next. Cherry goes on to berate the quiet room, the room where players who may have a concussion are sent for 15 minutes. In all reality this should probably be called the black room or the dark room, because as I understand it, that is essentially what it is. Anyway, that is beside the point.

They then showed some video from a movie (I didn’t recognize it) with Cherry talking over saying “it, it, it’s Franzen, it, it, it Franzen, it’s Franzen”, re-enacting what he figures Franzen replied with when he was asked his name. Cherry jokes as if it is funny that Franzen may have been concussed on the play. Cherry thought his joke was hilarious. Needless to say anyone who has had a concussion, and many who haven’t, didn’t. This is just the latest reason why Cherry needs to go.

Who should CBC bring in to replace Cherry you may ask. My first choice would be Mike Milbury, who is just like Cherry except he actually has a brain. Plus it isn’t the same thing week in, week out for Milbury. One of Cherry’s main problems is he has become stale after 25 odd years. Nick Kypreos from Rogers Sportsnet would be another solid choice. His career was ended by concussions, so he at least should have some respect for getting them out of the game. MacLean needs to be replaced by Elliotte Friedman too, but that is a story for another day.

Other Playoff Thoughts

I don’t know whether CBC is jumping for joy that the Canucks and Canadiens both look primed to make another deep playoff run, or if they are sad that three of their series could be over very early. TSN, however, has managed to pick up four highly entertaining and close(r) series. They may be the real winner if they don’t have to go head-to-head with CBC on the Easter Weekend.

The Penguins-Lightning game tomorrow has been pushed to CHEX-TV in Peterborough and CBCSports.ca only. That means it will not be available in high definition in Canada. For anyone who watched the Sabres-Flyers game on Saturday, there isn’t much of a choice of which game to watch tomorrow anyway.

CBC’s studio commentary, when Cherry has been at home, has been very good so far. Mike Milbury, Kelly Hrudey and Glenn Healy all work well together. Healy has did an admirable job filling in for Milbury while Milbury is in the US on NBC duty this weekend.

TSN’s studio crew has been okay too. They have avoided the trap of talking about the Coyotes moving to Winnipeg every night. Steve Staios made his TV debut on Saturday and was mildly impressive. He could be the next Aaron Ward.

Busy schedules. Glenn Healy was in Boston on Thursday and Saturday, Toronto on Friday and Sunday and will be in Montreal tomorrow night. Meanwhile Chris Cuthbert and Pierre McGuire were in Washington on Friday, Philadelphia on Saturday and Nashville tonight. McGuire will make the trek to Buffalo to call Flyers-Sabres for Versus tomorrow night. All three are picking up the frequent flyer miles at a high rate.

CBC has had clock troubles for gamest they have broadcast in Detroit and Chicago. Considering the proximity of the cities, I assume they are using the same production crew for both games. That probably means that it is an issue with one truck. I understand the issue will be fixed for Tuesday’s game. I don’t think it is a huge issue, but it does make CBC look amateurish. Versus and NBC had no clock troubles for the same games. The question is why has it taken since Wednesday to get someone on it?

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16 thoughts on “Controversy Comes Easy for MacLean and Cherry”

Maybe it’s because I’m not Canadian, but I didn’t get the joke. Was he really just trying to make fun of players that get concussions? Was there some point being made there? Also, I wouldn’t say NBC didn’t have clock troubles after that review of the Rangers non-goal at the end of the second period of Game 3. Their clock certainly wasn’t lined up with the real clock, that’s for sure.

He was trying to be funny. He was mimicking that we he thinks a player with a concussion may sound. He thinks the quite room is a bad idea. His main point probably was that concussions are being overrated and he liked it better in the “good ole’ days” when players got their bell rung, sucked it up and came back from the next shift.

CBC had same clock issues back in 06 during the Detroit-Edmonton series. Was total bush league.

I am more offended by the Coach’s Corner thing before it was just plain bad. I mean how does the idea and the execution of the idea even make it onto national television? It was cable access quality of idea and production from 1980s.

None of the network game clocks are synched with the real scoreboard which is why that overhead shot has the actual game clock burned in.

My vote for replacing Cherry would be Steve Ludzik, I used to love watching him, Kouleas and Strachan back when they were on the score. Not a fan of Milbury at all, guy whines too much, his outburst on the hotstove a little while ago was terrible, you can tell that LeBrun and the other guy don’t like him.

CBC’s coverage is blah, especially those 2 homers Hughson & the other guy. Its obvious by their play calling that they are pro-Vancouver.

I still love Bob Cole even if he is slow. He still calls a good game.

as for Cherry, this guy don’t care. He has CBC wrapped around his little fingers. He can say & do anything. This guy has become tiresome, I don’t even watch.

Milbury, he is just as much as a clown as Cherry with his tough guy approach. Drew has my vote, Koolie Ludzy & Strach, that would be a great replacement for CBC. But that is wishful thinking cause in TV you have a job for life. Just ask Ed Kilgore over there in Buffalo.

I don’t find Hughson to be any more or a homer than Bob Cole and Harry Neale were back in the days when the Maple Leafs always made the playoffs. Craig Simpson played and coached for the Oilers. I can guarantee you he doesn’t like Vancouver more than any other team. Coverage on Canadian TV always tends to be a bit biased towards the Canadian team. Let’s put it this way, there is a reason that Hughson has been the #1 hockey play-by-play for TSN, CBC and Sportsnet at different points in his life, he is very good.

I don’t think you will find many people who agree that Hughson is terrible. Like I said, you have to have some talent to make it to #1 at 3 different networks and have two different networks bidding a ton of money on you to be the lead baseball and hockey play-by-play. I think he is overrated, and better on baseball, but not terrible. I’ve listened to Doc Emrick call the Stanley Cup Finals on NBC every year since CBC took Cole off of it.

I’ve stopped watching Coach’s Corner, as it’s repetitive and racist. How can someone malign Europeans and French Canadians, when every team has some great players from those backgrounds on it?

As a Canucks fan, I also think that the CBC coverage is unbalanced, but unlike the previous comment, I find Craig Simpson to be anti-Vancouver. So perhaps it is balanced, offending equally on both sides! I find the switch to watching CBC from Sportnet quite jarrring, and am looking forward to the possibility that they might lose the HNIC contract.

I’ve been watching TSN cover the Kings/Sharks, and really enjoying Gord Miller and Ray Ferraro. Miller is quite witty at times, and Ferraro adds real content and player insights.

Mel
No its not racist what i find a bit shocking is when someone says something about a european player for french canadian player people get all worked up yet.When someone says something about a angelphone canadian player very few get worked up many will say they are 100% right.

Did you guys actually listen to the game on Tuesday? Everything was what about what Van should be doing or is doing. It is blatantly obvious that these guys arer PRO-VAN. It seems that they think that Van is the superior team & that the only way for them to lose is if THEY PLAY BAD, not that Chi played a good game.

On Thursay, actually listen to what Hughson is saying & how many times they discuss Van.

I listened to it and I heard a lot about what Chicago, in particular Bolland, did right.

And let’s be fair here. Vancouver is the superior team in every way. They have a better goalie (well except for last night), better forwards and arguably a better defense. They finished in front of Chicago by 20 points in the regular season. The only way for them to lose this series is if they massively screw up.